Occupational safety International framework and country guides
What is the main occupational safety and health law in Iraq and who enforces it?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Iraq: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
The main OSH rules are in Chapter 13 of Iraq's Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 and ministerial instructions under it. They are enforced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs through its National Centre for OSH and tripartite labour inspection committees.
Iraq has no stand-alone occupational safety and health (OSH) act. The main rules are in Chapter 13 of the Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 (قانون العمل رقم 37 لسنة 2015), Articles 113 to 135, together with OSH instructions issued by the Minister. They are enforced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (وزارة العمل والشؤون الاجتماعية), its National Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (المركز الوطني للصحة والسلامة المهنية) and labour inspection committees.
Short answer
- Law: Labour Law No. 37 of 2015, Chapter 13, Part 1 (OSH, Articles 113 to 125) and Part 2 (labour inspection, Articles 126 to 135). It replaced Labour Law No. 71 of 1987.
- Detail: technical requirements are in ministerial instructions (Articles 116, 118(2) and 173). Instructions made under the old law stay in force where they do not conflict with the new one (Article 172).
- Scope: all workers in Iraq except civil servants appointed under the Civil Service Law and members of the armed forces, police and internal security forces (Article 3).
- Enforcement: the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), the National Centre for OSH (planning, monitoring, licensing) and tripartite labour inspection committees with powers to enter without notice, order changes and suspend work in serious danger. The Ministry may close premises if a warning is ignored (Article 122).
- Kurdistan Region: has its own Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; confirm locally which law and instructions apply.
The legal framework in more detail
Chapter 13 of Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 sets the general duties: a safe and healthy working environment, training, written hazard information before work starts, free personal protective equipment (PPE), initial and periodic medical examinations at the employer's cost, reporting of injuries and occupational diseases, yearly inspection of boilers, pressure equipment, lifts and lifting gear, and emergency planning (Articles 114 to 121). The Minister issues the minimum OSH requirements after consulting the most representative unions or employers' associations (Article 116).
A 2025 Iraqi legal study refers to OSH instructions No. 12 of 2016, which replaced instructions No. 22 of 1987. We could not open the 2016 text, so obtain the current instructions from the Ministry or the National Centre before relying on technical details.
Other laws add duties in specific areas: the Retirement and Social Security Law for Workers No. 18 of 2023, to which the Labour Law refers for work injuries (Article 124), and Law No. 27 of 2009 on the Protection and Improvement of the Environment for environmental impact reports, dangerous chemicals and incident reports by oil and gas operators.
Internationally, Iraq approved its accession to the ILO Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) by Law No. 12 of 2015 (Official Gazette No. 4375, 10 August 2015). At a November 2022 workshop in Basra held with the ILO and the National Centre's Basra branch, participants called for the speedy enactment of an OSH law in line with ILO Convention No. 155, so a comprehensive OSH act had not been adopted at that time. Check whether one has been enacted since, and check the ILO NORMLEX country profile for the current ratification list.
Who does what
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs | National OSH authority and policy (Art. 115); issues instructions; warns employers and refers them to the labour court (Art. 134); may close premises (Art. 122) |
| National Centre for Occupational Health and Safety | Plans and monitors OSH (Art. 113); assesses hazards, takes samples, monitors workers' health (Art. 115); grants OSH licences to enterprises; authorises bodies that inspect lifting and pressure equipment (Art. 114); has governorate branches |
| Labour inspection directorate and committees | Inspect all workplaces covered by the law (Arts. 126 to 129); committees are chaired by a labour inspector with employers' and workers' representatives (Art. 128); publish yearly statistics on inspections, accidents and occupational diseases (Art. 133) |
| Competent health authority | Receives reports of injuries and occupational diseases (Art. 114) |
| Workers' social security administration | Work injury benefits and compensation (Art. 124, Law No. 18 of 2023) |
Inspection committees may enter workplaces at any time without notice, question people, examine records, take samples, order changes within a set time and, in serious danger, suspend work wholly or partly or evacuate the workplace (Article 129). The police assist when asked (Article 130). Each visit ends with a report of the violations and recommendations for legal action, and the Minister must warn the employer before referring it to the labour court (Articles 129 and 134).
What this means for a company starting work in Iraq
Example: A foreign engineering contractor mobilises 80 workers for a plant in southern Iraq. Its Iraqi checklist starts with Chapter 13 of the Labour Law: written hazard information for every worker, free PPE, pre-employment and periodic medical examinations, a nurse and a contracted physician with a clinic on site (because it has more than 50 workers), valid annual inspection reports for cranes, and a contact at the local branch of the National Centre for OSH for reporting and licensing. It then adds the client's HSE requirements, which in the oil and gas sector are usually stricter than the law.
Common mistakes
- Looking for a separate "OSH Act": the duties are in the Labour Law and its instructions.
- Assuming federal rules apply unchanged in the Kurdistan Region without checking with the regional ministry, which co-signed the 2022 labour inspection policy with the federal ministry.
- Treating the client's HSE plan as a substitute for the legal duties, such as the physician thresholds and free medical examinations.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Iraq: law, authorities and employer duties
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Iraq?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Iraq?
- OSH law comparison: appointments and reporting deadlines
Standards and further reading
- Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 (قانون العمل رقم 37 لسنة 2015), Chapter 13; unofficial English translation: alnoor.edu.iq. The Arabic text in Al-Waqai al-Iraqiya is authoritative.
- Law No. 12 of 2015 on Iraq's accession to ILO Convention No. 187, Official Gazette (Al-Waqai al-Iraqiya) No. 4375, 10 August 2015, Ministry of Justice: moj.gov.iq
- ILO, OSH in the Iraqi oil and gas sector (November 2022): ilo.org
- ILO, labour inspection policy and national OSH profile for Iraq (November 2022): ilo.org
- ILO, Retirement and Social Security Law for Workers No. 18 of 2023 (December 2023): ilo.org
This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.
More questions on this topic
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- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Iraq?
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- Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Iraq?
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Iraq?
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Part of: Occupational safety and health in Iraq: law, authorities and employer duties